


YonderTale

by TheAsexualofSpades



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I honestly have no idea what I'm doing, Multi, Other, probs more as I do more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-12 03:55:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 11,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11728980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAsexualofSpades/pseuds/TheAsexualofSpades
Summary: A child falls down a hole during a witch hunt in Medieval Times. They have to find their way through an Underground full of monsters. Many years later, another child falls down, and they look...so familiar...It's basically just Undertale in Medieval Times. Enjoy!





	1. Medieval Times

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first multi-chapter fic I'm putting up here. I hope you guys enjoy it! I do not own Undertale nor its characters. I only own the main character and their family.

The sun rose over the small cottage as the little child ran outside. They gazed up at the sky as it grew lighter and lighter. Their mother called from inside.

 

“Atheleys! Where didst thou go?”

 

The little child didn’t respond, still looking up at the sky in awe.

 

“Atheleys!”

 

“Mother! The sky’s lighteth again! Wherefore? How?” The little child shouted as their clothes jumped around them. “Mother!”

 

“’Tis just how things art, mine own child.” The mother finally came outside and put her hands on the little child’s shoulders. The child still stared in wonder as the ball of light emerged over the horizon. “Anon cometh, thee has’t ch’res to finish.”

 

“Aye mother.” The child sighed and turned to leave. “Prithee, can we gaze upon the sky lat’r?”

 

The mother chuckled. “If’t be true thee wisheth, once thee has’t did finish thy ch’res.”

 

The child rushed quickly back inside to help their mother. A few seconds later, they re-emerged with a wooden bucket and dashed towards the well at the end of the path. As they turned the handle to get the water, the warm glow of light stretched long golden fingers over the hills, glinting off the water in the bucket. The child stopped and stared open mouthed at the red and yellow sky.

 

“Atheleys!”

 

The child grabbed the bucket and stumbled back to the house. They spilled some of the water as they hurried to their mother who was waiting inside.

 

Later that day, the local sheriff came by to visit the child’s mother. The mother sent the child to their room. “Mother! Wherefore can’t I stayeth with thee?”

 

“Ye has’t a child? Art they an evilde’r liketh thee?” The sheriff grabbed the child by the arm and wrenched them towards him. “Wilt we did rid the world of their evil as well?

 

“Nay! Alloweth them liveth, they art innocent!” The mother cried out, trying to save the child who was trying to free themselves in confusion.

 

“Unhand me! Thou art hurting me, sir! Alloweth me free!”

 

The sheriff released them and instead grabbed their mother. “The child may beest innocent, but thee must burneth in hell for thy crimes, thou unearthly heathen.”

 

The child still had no idea what was going on. “Mother! Wherefore doest that he wanteth to taketh thee hence from me? What is wrong?”

 

“This flibbertigibbet is not thy mother.” The sheriff said. “The lady is a witch. And wilt beest hang’d.”

 

The child was too shocked to move. They could only watch as the sheriff forced their mother outside and into a crowd that had assembled just down the path. They didn’t understand why anyone would think their mother was a witch. She hadn’t hurt anyone. She hadn’t done anything.

 

“Killeth the wench! Killeth the wench! Killeth the wench!” The cries rose as the mob paraded to the center of the small village. “Killeth the wench!”

 

The child couldn’t take it any longer. Tears blurred their vision as they ran from the house into the hills. They ran and ran until their breathing became too ragged for them to keep running. And even then they couldn’t turn back. They couldn’t go back to her house. They couldn’t. They would take them away, just like they’d taken their mother.

 

“Mother!” The child wept. “I need thee!”

 

The sky darkened as the child collapsed into a tangled heap on the ground. As it drew closer to night, the child got up and tried to find their way back home. But because of the growing darkness, they failed to notice the vine sprawling over the ground. Their shoe got caught on the vine and they fell forwards.

 

They expected to hit the ground straight away, but the ground seemed to open up and they descended into the depths of the earth.

 

The last thought the child had was that at least their mother wouldn’t be worrying about them anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have no idea how hard it is to ignore warnings about grammar for 'olde English.' 
> 
> If there are any other errors, let me know. 
> 
> I promise the next chapter will be more interesting.


	2. Underground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The child has fallen. 
> 
> Is anyone there?

When the child woke, they were lying on a bed of golden flowers, their clothes torn and mangled. They sat up and looked around. Where were they? Had they died? The last thing they remembered was tripping and falling in the hills, after…after…

 

The child burst into tears again. Remembering their fallen mother, and how she stumbled away from them after doing nothing wrong was too much. Why did people have to assume the worst of you when nothing was actually wrong? Why must you get blamed for the wrongdoings of others?

 

The sobs echoed off the walls of the cavern, the vaulted walls frowning over the child. Old pillars framed the clearing where they had fallen down, and high above a pinprick of sunlight was still visible.

 

“Hello? Is someone there?” A soft voice joined the small sounds of the child as another figure entered the clearing. “Are you hurt?”

 

The child looked up, searching for the source of the voice. As the figure came into the light, the child tried to scurry away but stopped when a sharp pain hurt their ankle. Instead of a human, as they had expected, the figure’s head looked like a goat’s, and paws instead of hands. The…creature wore a purple robe and no shoes. They knelt down next to the child.

 

“Do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, and I will not hurt you.” Toriel put her hand out and ran her paw over the child’s ankle. “Does this hurt?”

 

The child was still unwilling to speak. Toriel waited before sighing. “If you do not wish to speak, I will not force you to. Would you like it if I helped you back to my house so that I may heal you?”

 

The child nodded, and Toriel stood. She lifted her paw into the air, and the child lifted off the ground until they floated in midair. They gazed in wonder at the little red heart that was levitating in front of their chest. They pointed at it.

 

“Do you know what that is?” The child shook their head. “That is your soul, my child.” Toriel brought her paw closer, and the child drifted nearer until they were face-to-face. She brought the child up so they could look her directly in the eyes. “It changes with magic. It shouldn’t hurt you.”

 

The child watched wide-eyed as Toriel walked through the expanse of the caverns to a small cottage. It was just after a big black tree, despite there being no sunlight this far down for the plant to grow. It must be from magic. Toriel gently set the child down on a bed of red leaves and opened the door. “Would you like to come in so I can heal you?”

 

The child nodded. They got up and tried to hobble forwards, but they collapsed forwards in pain as their ankle gave out under them. Toriel caught them as they fell before their body could smash against the rocky ground. She gingerly picked up the child and carried them inside, laying them carefully on a bed inside a room off the main hall. The minute their head hit the pillow, they were fast asleep.

 

When they woke up, they were snugly under the covers and the little lamp in the corner was off. A pleasant little tune was playing in the background, soothing them back to sleep. They were about to drift back to sleep when a delicious aroma woke them up. They sat up in bed as Toriel opened the door.

 

“Good! You’re awake my child. How is your leg?”

 

The child tried to speak but found their throat had closed up. They nodded instead. Toriel walked over and gently tugged back the covers to reveal a snugly wrapped bandage. “This should help you heal, my child.”

 

The child smiled gratefully and looked past where Toriel was kneeling next to their bed. There was a piece of pie on the floor. Their eyes widened. Toriel followed their gaze to the pie and laughed.

 

“Are you hungry?”

 

The child nodded enthusiastically and tried to struggle out of the blankets to get to the pie. Toriel picked up the plate and handed it to them. As they ate, Toriel asked them if they wanted something else to eat. The child shook their head and continued to eat. When they had finished, Toriel took the plate and set it down beside her.

 

“Do you want to get some more sleep, my child?”

 

The child didn’t hear. They were already dozing again. Toriel tucked the blankets in around them and left, shutting the door quietly behind her.

 

A bit later into the night (or what the child supposed was night), the child woke up and sat up in the bed. They rubbed their eyes and pushed back the covers a tiny bit. The light in the corner was still off, and the song was still playing. No angry people. No fire. Just…safety. They laid back down and pulled the covers back up to their chin. As sleep took them over once more, the smile on their face outshone the tears on their cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Now plot can start! The first few chapters will follow the rough plot of an Undertale Pacifist route. Stuff's gonna be a bit different because it takes place pre-canon. But for the most part, it'll be similar. Enjoy!


	3. The RUINS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The child wakes up in Toriel's care. They want to know more about where they are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot! Yay! Finally!

When the child woke up the second time, they pushed back the covers and tried to put weight on their bad ankle. Incredibly, they could walk painlessly. As they examined their leg in awe, unaware of how they could stand, Toriel knocked on the door and opened it. When she saw the child’s confused face, she smiled and knelt down to unwrap the bandage.

 

“I take it your leg feels better?” The child nodded and jumped a few times for emphasis. Toriel laughed.

 

“Would you like something to eat?” Toriel stood and held out a paw. As they left the room, the soft tune from the music box followed them. The child sat down at the table as Toriel fetched another piece of pie from the kitchen. As the child ate, they looked down to see the few grazes on their leg fade away. They looked up in awe. Toriel smiled.

 

“In this world, my child, food can heal you instantly. It recovers your HP, or HOPE, giving you the power to live.” The child blinked. “Just remember that food will make you feel better, alright?”

 

The child smiled and finished their pie. Toriel collected their plate and took it to the kitchen to clean. When she returned, the child’s smile was gone, replaced with a tearful frown. “What’s wrong, my child? Why are you crying?”

 

The child looked up at Toriel with tears in their eyes, their hair sticking to their face. Toriel reached down and hugged them to her chest. The soft fur of Toriel’s neck and arms softly tickled the child’s face as they sobbed. The quiet music in the background calmed them as Toriel rocked the child back and forth. As they quieted, Toriel pulled back and brushed the child’s hair out of their face.

 

“Will you tell me what is troubling you, my child?”

 

The child’s lower lip wobbled, but they remained silent. Toriel tucked a lock of hair behind the child’s ear.

 

“Did you lose something?” They nodded. “Someone?” They looked like they were about to start crying again. “Was it your brother?”

 

They shook their head. “Your sister?” No again. “Your father?” The child looked away sadly. “No…it wasn’t your father. It was your mother, wasn’t it?”

 

The child did start crying again, confirming Toriel’s question. As she rocked the child gently, another idea came to her. “Would you like it if I took care of you as your mother?” They stilled and considered the possibility. Eventually, though, they shook their head and looked up pleadingly.

 

Toriel looked crestfallen until she saw the child’s hopeful little face. “No, you would just remember what you once had. You just want to go home, don’t you?” She smiled sadly and helped the child up to their feet. “At least walk with me for a little bit before you leave, please?”

 

The child nodded and followed Toriel eagerly outside. Even though there was no sunlight in the Underground, the entire area was well lit with some form of crystals hanging from the ceiling. Along the way, Toriel showed them different monsters in the ruins, including the friendly spiders that ran the Spider Bake Sale. Toriel bought them a Spider Donut that they stashed in their clothes for later. The child smiled happily at every monster they met and looked confused when some turned away. “Some monsters do not really understand humans, my child. They may not understand why you are being so nice.” Why was the child being nice? They didn’t really know. Their mother had always told them to be nice to everyone, no matter how they others treated them. Their mother…

 

The child shook off the thought as Toriel led them through the rooms back to her house and to the basement. In the basement, there was a giant purple door. Toriel knelt down and placed her paws on the child’s shoulders. “Are you sure do not want to remain here with me, my child? It could be dangerous for you outside of the Ruins – this place here. Other monsters…they may not treat you as well as you will treat them.”

 

The child looked sadly at Toriel before looking over her shoulder at the door. Toriel sighed.

 

“I know. You must go home. This door leads to the rest of the Underground. Will you at least promise me one thing?” The child nodded. “If a monster tries to fight you, please, try not to fight back. Try to show them MERCY, alright? Please?”

 

The child looked at Toriel’s pleading face and smiled, reaching forwards and pulling Toriel into a hug. As they embraced the child breathed in the sweet smell of cinnamon and…butterscotch? Toriel handed the child another piece of pie with the instruction to “Save it for when you truly need it, my child.” The door creaked open slowly as the child sadly waved goodbye to Toriel. As the door swung shut, Toriel’s parting wave disappeared behind the monolith of purple stone. The child laid their palm on the door in a farewell gesture before turning to face the dark woods in front of them.

 

They were so caught up in looking around that they didn’t notice the figure watching them as they walked down the path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you can guess who's going to show up in the next chapter. I'm almost done with the full thing, but I'll keep putting up the chapters one day at a time. I just wanted to put two up yesterday so we could get into the story.


	4. The Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The child is being followed. 
> 
> It chills them to the bone.

The child made their way down the path, stepping over a large stick. The forest around them seemed to grow darker, almost as if the night was settling around them. As the darkness grew, the child shivered and tugged the thin cloth around their shoulders. Toriel’s home had been much warmer, and now they wished they had a warmer coat. A sharp _crack_ from behind interrupted their musings. They whirled around. They saw the stick lying on the path broken neatly in two.

 

The child frowned. They had stepped _over_ that stick, not on it. Even so, they wouldn’t have broken it. They shrugged and kept walking. As they passed through the trees, they were unable to shake the feeling that they were being followed. When they neared a shoddily constructed gate over a thin wooden bridge, they froze. That wasn’t the wind. Those were footsteps.

 

They were getting closer.

 

The child didn’t dare move as they felt something walk up behind them. Out of the corner of their eye, they saw a shadow slowly lengthen and merge with their own; the figure stopped just behind them. They were about the same height, but the figure felt much larger than the child’s small frame.

 

“H U M A N.” The voice was deep, and clearly masculine. “T U R N  A R O U N D  A N D  M E E T  Y O U R  N E W  P A L.”

 

The child turned around slowly to make eye contact with a hooded silhouette on the path behind them. The figure stuck out a gloved hand. Cautiously, the child reached out and –

 

The sound of a whoopee cushion echoed through the trees. The child’s brow wrinkled in confusion, and they quickly withdrew their hand. The figure doubled over laughing.

 

“Heh heh heh…that never gets old.” When they straightened up, the hood fell backwards to reveal a grinning skull. The child shrank backwards in fear. They had heard about skeletons in the stories the villagers used to tell. “Whoa, hey there kid, I ain’t gonna hurt ya. The name’s Sans. Sans the skeleton.”

 

The child carefully took a step forwards. Was it true? Was he really not going to hurt them? Sans seemed to see the concern written in the child’s face.

 

“Hey, it’s okay kid. I know it may seem a bit weird, but like I said, I ain’t gonna hurt ya. I got nothing against ya.” The child smiled to match the large smile plastered across Sans’ face. Now that he was standing up straight, Sans was actually about a head taller than the child. “There ya go, kid. That’s a bit better. What’s your name?”

 

The child didn’t speak, afraid that Sans might attack, but Sans seemed to understand. “Hey, it’s okay kid. You don’t have to talk if ya don’t wanna. By the way, have you seen my bro? His name’s Papyrus.”

 

The child shook their head. Sans was the only person they had seen after they left the Ruins. Sans shrugged. “Hey, I’ve got an idea. Go through this gate thingy.”

 

The child walked carefully forwards, over the bridge, to a clearing in the forest with a shed and a – what was that?

 

“That’s a lamp, kid. It gives off light.” Sans noticed the child’s confusion and stepped closer to it. “You can hide behind it. It’s rather conveniently-shaped, isn’t it?”

 

The child stepped closer, and realized yes, it was incredibly conveniently shaped. Their silhouette matched perfectly with the shape of the lamp. They stepped behind it, giggling softly. Sans turned and looked in different directions, pretending not to know where they were.

 

“Huh? Where’d you go, kid?” He laughed as the child peeked their head out from behind the lamp. “Oh, there ya are.” The child’s smile fell as they saw another figure coming down the path. Fast. They squeaked and hid behind the lamp again. “What’s up, kid? Why ya hiding?”

 

“SANS!” A much shorter skeleton came barreling into the clearing, an orange scarf wound around his neck. “WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?  I WANT TO TALK TO THEM TOO!”

 

“’Sup, bro?” Sans turned around just in time to have the younger skeleton crash headlong into him. “Oof.”

 

“SANS!  IT IS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!  I WANT TO HANG OUT WITH YOU!”

 

“Sure thing, bro.”

 

The child hidden behind the lamp heard the conversation and looked carefully around to see the two skeletons. When they caught Papyrus’ eye, the skeleton shrieked and cowered behind Sans. “Hey, what’s wrong, bro?”

 

“T-THAT’S A H-HUMAN!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems Papyrus has both the keen instincts of a member of the Royal Guard and that lamps are always convenient. Yay, plot!
> 
> I hope you guys are enjoying this.


	5. Skele-bros

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More about the Skelebrothers. Smol Papy is smol.

The child shrank back behind the lamp, cowering in fear. Judging by the shrill yells behind them, Papyrus wasn’t doing much better.

 

“B-BUT SANS, THAT’S A HUMAN!  Y-YOU TOLD ME THAT HUMANS WERE DANGEROUS!”

 

“I know, bro, but this is different. The dangerous humans were the old humans.”

 

“B-BUT…”

 

The conversation trailed to a halt, and the child squeezed their eyes shut in fear. They heard little crunches of snow, slowly getting closer and closer. When they opened their eyes again, Sans and Papyrus were standing just to the side of the lamp. Papyrus edged carefully around Sans to stand in front of the human. He nervously straightened his scarf.

 

“G-GREETINGS, HUMAN.  I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!  IT MUST BE AN HONOR TO MEET SUCH A COOL SKELETON LIKE ME!” By the time Papyrus had finished speaking, he was much more confident, even gesticulating grandly at the end of his speech. The child stood up straight and bowed meekly. Papyrus seemed to appreciate the gesture. “SEE SANS?  I TOLD YOU THAT THEY W-WERE NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF!”

 

“Sure, bro.” Sans walked forwards, flashing. the child a wink when his brother wasn’t looking. He rubbed Papyrus’ head, maybe harder than was strictly necessary. Papyrus and the human were the same height, even though Papyrus kept standing on his tiptoes, trying to be just a little bit taller.  

 

“SO WHAT NOW?  IS THE HUMAN LOST?” The child nodded sadly. They wiped their eyes on their cloak. Papyrus sprung forwards and wrapped his bony arms around the child, his orange mittens barely reaching halfway across the child’s back. They looked over to where Sans was looking off into the forest.  “SANS!  CAN WE HELP THE HUMAN GET HOME?”

 

“Sure thing bro, we can try.” Papyrus couldn’t see, but Sans looked nervous, beads of sweat appearing on his skull. Papyrus pulled away. “But maybe we should take them to Grillby’s first, just so they’re not hungry?”

 

“THAT IS A GREAT IDEA!  WORTHY OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” The younger skeleton bolted off towards where the child presumed this ‘Grillby’s’ was. Sans slung one arm around the child’s shoulders.

 

“So, whaddya think of my bro? Sure, he’s young, but you have to admit, Papyrus tries really hard.” The child nodded, smiling. “Come on, kid. Let’s go get you something to eat.”

 

As they walked through the forest, Papyrus pointed out the various sights of interest. The dog guards (or as Sans corrected; the ‘guard dogs’). The Snowdrake and his ‘cool’ puns (Sans insisted his puns were much ‘n-ice-r’). The puzzles constructed by “THE GREAT PAPYRUS HIMSELF!” Most of the puzzles were randomly arranged switches and piles of snow that needed to be pressed in a certain order – or just press the first one. Papyrus stared astonished when the human continued to solve the puzzles so easily, just by pressing a few switches. He always insisted it was ‘beginner’s luck’, instead of the puzzles being too easy.

 

Occasionally, they would find one of the guards that would be more enthusiastic in their greeting. One dog, in particular, jumped on the child and started licking their face. Any attempts to dislodge the pup just encouraged it. Eventually, the child gave up and just began to pet the dog. It settled on the child’s lap and panted contentedly. Then something extraordinary happened. As the child petted the dog, its neck grew longer and longer, and longer. Soon, the child ensnared in a mass of white fur.

 

“Got into a bit of a hairy situation there, haven’t ya kid?” Sans chuckled at the child’s predicament. Papyrus stomped on the ground.

 

“SANS!  STOP MAKING PUNS!  IT’S NOT HELPING!”

 

“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Fur sure.”

 

“SAAAAAANS!”

 

Eventually, the brothers managed to get the child untangled and the dog scampered off. As they neared the edge of a small collection of buildings, Sans spread his arms wide. “Welcome to Snowdin Town. Because of the constant winter around here, it’s a permanently snowed-in town.”

 

“SAAAAAAAANS!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing smol Papy. That dog will come handy...


	6. Snowdin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MOAR BABY BROS also puns.

The child laughed at Papyrus’ outrage. Sans strolled along what appeared to be the main street, waving to the other monsters outside. Most of them declined to wave back, instead,  they kept turning away or glowering at the child. Tugging on Sans’ sleeve, the child looked up, concerned they’d done something wrong. Sans followed the child’s gaze to where a mother rabbit was pulling her child inside.

 

“Hey, don’t worry about ‘em, kid.” Sans smiled. “They’re just giving ya the cold shoulder.”

 

The child laughed, thankful that Papyrus was too busy running back and forth across the path to protest against the pun. Not all the monsters were unhappy to see the child; one rabbit handed the child a cinnamon bunny, and large bear gave the child a sparkly wrapped box. When the child opened it, the box was empty, save for the rest of the ribbon that tied up the box. The bear reached over, careful to keep his claws in, and tied the ribbon gently around the child’s head. They laughed and gave the bear a giant hug. If bears could blush, this one did. As they kept walking, Papyrus ran ahead, announcing the presence of the human. Either the monsters would look up and wave, or turn away and ignore them altogether. The child hid behind Sans shyly, trying not to make a fuss. It worked up until a large growl made Papyrus stop shouting and swing around.

 

“SANS! WHAT WAS THAT?”

 

Sans chuckled and motioned to the child smiling abashedly behind him. “Sounds like someone’s hungry, huh?” The child nodded. “Well, come on, kid. I know just the place to go.”

 

The next building the three of them walked up to was a short, well-built brick building with a large door off to one side. Large windows with a sign that said ‘open’ took up the rest of the wall, a faint orange light emanating from within. Across the top of the building, a faded placard read ‘GRILLBY’S’ in peeling letters. Papyrus ran off to play with some of the other monsters, promising he’d meet them outside. Sans walked up and pushed open the door, holding it open for the child to walk through. As soon as they entered, the crowded interior fell silent.

 

“Hey, everyone.”

 

“Hey Sans.” The reply rang out from most of the monsters in the room. The only figure that didn’t reply was the person behind the bar. The child squinted, unable to see past the fire on the grill. When they got closer, the child’s eyes widened. They squeaked and hid behind Sans.

 

“Hey, don’t look scared, kid. It’s just Grillby. He owns the place.”

 

‘Just Grillby’ turned out to be over six feet tall and made of fire. When he turned around to look at the child, he placed the rag he was holding down onto the bar and gave a little wave. The child waved back, still spellbound. Grillby’s head was similar in appearance to a candle flame, tapering off into a single flickering point. He wore a black vest and white shirt rolled up to his elbows, revealing arms made of fire. He reached over the bar, hand outstretched. Sans nodded when the child looked up at him. Cautiously, the child reached out, closing their eyes in anticipation for the burning of touching fire. When none came, they opened their eyes to see Grillby staring down at them, his spectacles askew on his face. His hand was already closed around the child’s, enveloping it in a pleasant warmth that wasn’t at all painful. The child smiled, and Grillby – even though he didn’t have a face – inclined his head contentedly. Stretching his arm out, he helped the child clamber on to one of the bar stools. The child sat down with a pleased look on their face, which turned to a look of confusion when a whoopee cushion went off again. Sans doubled over with laughter.

 

“Heh. That never gets old.” He managed as he straightened up. Grillby shot him a disapproving look. The child giggled as Sans look away ashamed and rubbed his head. “Alright, alright, I’m sorry. Anyways, do ya want something to eat, kid?”

 

The child nodded but looked unsure what they wanted. Grillby held up a hand as if to say ‘wait’ and disappeared into a room off the back. When he returned, he was carrying a plate of what looked like potatoes cut into strips. They tried one and immediately smiled from how delicious they were. Sans laughed at their delighted face, and Grillby patted the child’s head affectionately. As they ate, the child began to wonder what other kinds of food there was down here, and what their mother would think of –

 

Their mother.

 

Grillby and Sans looked on in shock as the child bowed their head and began to weep. Grillby leaned over the counter as Sans slung an arm around the child’s shoulders. “Hey, what’s up, kid? Not sitting well with ya?” The child signaled that this was not the case and instead kept crying. Grillby passed them a napkin to dry their eyes on. Sans rubbed the child’s head. “You just want to go home, don’t ya?”

 

The child nodded. Sans waved goodbye to Grillby and helped the child outside. They walked to the edge of the town, where Sans told them how to get to where they wanted to go.

 

“Look after yourself, kid. Cause someone really cares about ya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing Grillby...I may do a oneshot with him later. 
> 
> As always, I hope you guys are enjoying this.


	7. Waterfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The child runs into someone who acts on a monster's prejudice towards humans. 
> 
> Now what?

The child wandered through the edge of the forest into a clearing, filled with a mysterious blue light that seemed to be emanating from tall, blue torches. Vibrant blue water trickled down stone cliff faces, pooling into cobalt streams that trickled alongside the path. As they walked, pinpricks of light in the ceiling sent gleams of light darting around the cavern walls, reflecting off the shimmering water’s surface. Despite the tear streaks on their face, the child smiled, the peaceful surroundings temporarily easing their pain.

 

They tipped their head to the side in confusion. Was it their imagination, or was there music coming from somewhere? They listened closely. No, that was definitely music. Following the sound, they happened upon an ancient looking statue, crouched in an alcove off the main passageway. The tune was coming from the little structures huddled at its feet. It was strangely familiar, like a memory from a dream.

 

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know there’d be someone here.”

 

The voice made the child wing around. Their eyes widened in fear. A ghost was floating in front of them, wide black eyes staring unblinkingly. They scrambled backward.

 

“Oh, no, did I scare you? I only wanted to listen to the music, oh no. I’ve ruined everything.” Could ghosts hang their heads? This one seemed to be, sighing dejectedly. “I thought maybe I could make a new friend.”

 

The child tentatively took a step closer, eyeing the ghost. Making friends? That was something they wanted too. Carefully, they reached out and tried to pat its side, frowning in disappointment when their hand phased right through. The ghost looked up.

 

“Oh, sorry. I forgot that you won’t be able to touch me. That’s okay. I’ll be your friend anyway. I mean, only if you want to. No pressure.” The child nodded excitedly. “Really? Oh, okay. I made a new friend. My name is Napstablook. I mean, don’t bother to remember it. You don’t have to. No pressure.”

 

The child smiled, and sat next to the ghost on the damp ground, listening to the music. It was pleasant, and the presence of the ghost next to them was reassuring. The music lulled them into a peaceful trance, making their eyes slowly begin to droop closed.

 

“NGAHHH!”

 

The shriek made them sit bolt upright. A bright blue monster was running towards them, holding out a glowing blue spear. The child curled themselves into a ball, hoping the monster would just ignore them. No such luck. The monster stopped right in front of them and pointed their spear at the shaking child. “FIGHT ME!”

 

Frantically shaking their head, the child backed into the wall, trying to avoid confrontation by keeping their head down. Another monster came stomping down the path, a large turtle? Expect this one stood on its hind legs and was outfitted with a full suit of armor, a shield strapped to his back and a large hammer in his paw. He shook his head at the enthusiastic nature of the little monster.

 

“Let the poor thing go, Undyne. It won’t hurt you.”

 

“BUT WE NEED TO CAPTURE IT! AND IT HAS TO FIGHT ME!” Undyne shook her spear threateningly at the child, who was now pressed against the wall.

 

“Oh, no…everyone’s so angry…” Napstablook started to float away slowly. “It was nice to make friends with you. I’ll go back to my house now…”

 

The child, desperate to avoid a fight, looked up in fright and stretched their hand out to the ghost, revealing their face to Undyne.

 

“OH MY GOD! THAT’S A HUMAN!” She shrieked. “WE MUST CAPTURE IT! CAPTAIN!”

 

“Calm down, Undyne, there’s no way that’s a…” The turtle trailed off as his caught sight of the child’s face. “Oh my…get behind me, Undyne.”

 

“BUT I HAVE TO FIGHT! I HAVE TO CAPTURE THE HUMAN! I HAVE TO DELIVER ITS SOUL TO ASGORE!”

 

The child was particularly averse to having their soul taken, as one would expect, and shook their head violently. The turtle advanced, wielding his hammer and pressing them up against the wall.

 

“Where did you come from?” He snarled. “What do you want?’

 

The child didn’t understand. They didn’t want anything. They tried to communicate that to the monster.

 

“KILL IT! HARVEST ITS SOUL!” Undyne carried on shrieking, bouncing excitedly. The Captain smiled cruelly and drew his arm back.

 

“She’s right. You don’t _deserve_ the right to answer.”

 

He raised the hammer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun duun!
> 
> Also I relate to Napstablook a bit too much. But don't we all?


	8. Conflict of Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So...Captain of the Royal Guard, huh?

“Hey, Gerson. Whatcha doing?”

 

Sans! The child looked up to see the skeleton standing behind the monster, hands in his pockets, staring at the three of them. They jumped up and ran to him, hiding behind him.

 

“Sans?” Gerson lowered his hammer and turned around, confused. “What are you doing? Why are you protecting that…that…” he struggled to find a politer term, “thing?”

 

“Well, this ‘thing’ is my friend.”

 

“What?” Gerson shouted, nearly knocking Undyne backward into the wall. “Are you crazy, Sans? Do you know what that thing can do?”

 

Sans motioned to the child who was still cowering behind him. “Uh, aside from treating everyone well, no, can’t say I do. Stop trying to hammer home your point.”

 

“Now is not the time for puns.”

 

“Now is always the time for puns.”

 

Gerson clapped a paw to his forehead. “Sans, I don’t understand how you can ignore this. A human can destroy all of monster kind!”

 

“They haven’t so far.”

 

“What?”

 

“They’ve been here for a while now, and they haven’t hurt anyone.” Sans looked at the child. “Have you?” The child shook their head. Sans looked back at Gerson, who now looked very uncomfortable.

 

“CAN WE KILL IT NOW?” They all looked at Undyne, who was still glaring at the child. Sans looked back at Gerson. He sighed and sheathed his hammer.

 

“No, Undyne. We won’t. We don’t harm people who have done nothing wrong.”

 

“BUT THAT’S A HUMAN!” Undyne shrieked.

 

“Yeah. So what? Have they hurt you?” Sans glanced down at the kid still cowering behind them. “You been misbehavin’ kid?”

 

The child frantically shook their head. Sans glanced back up at Gerson who reluctantly sheathed his hammer.

 

“Alright, maybe I was being a bit harsh,” he grumbled, placing a hand on the head of the hyperactive fish. “Calm down, Undyne, we’re not going to hurt the human.”

 

“BUT WHY? WHY CAN’T WE KILL IT?”

 

Gerson sighed. “Sans is right. From the sounds of it, it hasn’t hurt anyone. So, we won’t hurt it.” With that, he crouched down in front of the child. “Can you hear me, kid?”

 

The child looked up, face streaked with tears. They nodded slowly.

 

“Good. Name’s Gerson. I’m the Captain of the Royal Guard. Sorry about trying to kill you and all, it’s just humans have something of a bad reputation around here. This,” he indicated the cobalt fish that hovered behind him, “is Undyne. Trainee, very…enthusiastic.”

 

“HUMAN.” Undyne jabbed at them warily with her spear. “I WON’T KILL YOU. YET.”

 

Gerson winced. “No, she won’t hurt you. C’mon, up you get.” He extended a scaly paw and helped the child to their feet. “There you go.”

 

“Kid’s just tryin’ to get home, Gerson.” Sans ruffled their hair carefully. “Maybe you can take them to Hotland?”

 

“Sure thing.” Gerson looked over at Undyne. “Why don’t you go guard the Temmies?”

 

“GUARD THE TEMMIES!” Undyne ran off shrieking. Gerson chuckled and the child grinned. They liked Undyne’s spirit. They began walking towards another end of the long blue hallway, waving goodbye to Sans.

 

Gerson showed them to one end of the tunnel with glowing blue flowers. As the child leaned closer, they heard a soft whispering.

 

“Those are Echo Flowers. They repeat whatever they just heard.” Indeed, as the child bent closer, they heard the garbled remains of Gerson’s sentence. They smiled before running from patch to patch to hear what the flowers had to say.

 

As they walked, a small, amber glow began to reflect off the dew-stained walls near the end of the tunnel. The child’s eyes widened as the tunnel flattened out into a walkway that led towards a boardwalk into somewhere very…bright. They squinted at a glowing placard that read ‘WELCOME TO HOTLAND.’

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, we're in Hotland now! I love writing Waterfall and Hotland. 
> 
> I hope you guys are enjoying this!


	9. Hotland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The child walks through the Underground. Someone notices.

The child wiped the sweat off of their brow as they wandered through the massive cavern entrance. The soft glow had brightened into a blinding light; the floor sending glimmers of flame dancing around the rocky ceiling. The damp tunnels became solid platforms. The child walked forwards, entranced by the cavern’s shine. Gerson chuckled.

 

“Quite a change from Waterfall, isn’t it?” He gestured forwards with his paw. “You shouldn’t have too much trouble getting from here to the CORE. I’ll have someone help you. Now,” he sighed, turning to go back, “I’ve gotta go make sure Undyne hasn’t tried to fight anyone else.”

 

The child waved goodbye as they started forwards. Vents steamed from under them. They peered over the edge of the walkway, only to gasp in surprise. The floor was… _moving._ It looked like water, except it was thicker, bubbling, and, well, _orange._ This appeared to be the source of the heat. It was comforting, like Grillby’s heat. They kept walking.

 

Small platforms began to hiss lightly as the child neared them. When they stepped on one, they made a noise of surprise when they were suddenly pushed upwards. The steam sent them spiraling through the air, twisting and turning towards another platform. They landed with a thud. Looking forwards, they saw another steam platform. They began to run. Once again, the steam catapulted them into the air, sending them flying across the cavern. They laughed excitedly as they hopped from platform to platform, the steam carrying them effortlessly over the burning floor.

 

Eventually, they reached a set of platforms laid out in a complicated arrangement on the floor, some together in squares, others by themselves over a large gap in the platforms. The child puzzled over the tiles for a minute, before stepping decisively onto the one furthest to the left. It took them a few tries, but they landed triumphantly on the other side of the crevasse. Panting lightly, they started walking down a long stretch of rock, overlooking a large lake of the orange stuff. There was…something glowing in the distance.

 

It looked like some kind of building, but it was all shiny. The light reflected off of it, and there were strange metal bits sticking out of it. Some of them went down into the orange stuff, others went into the rock above it. The child squinted. It was kind of hard to see because it was so hot. Little waves began to cloud their vision, and they raised a hand to block out some of the light radiating from the orange liquid.

 

“Hey!”

 

The child turned around quickly before their mouth dropped open. There was a small little mountain crouched in front of them, puffing out little bits of smoke with an adorably small face on the front.

 

“Who are you! You look different! Are you a human? I’ve never met a human!” As it spoke, it hopped around the child like a little dog. “Why are you down here? I’ve never heard of a human down here!”

 

The child found a smile working its way across their face as they watched the creature bounce around. They looked back at the building across the gap. It seemed to be…shining more now. What had happened? Something changed.

 

“Oh! Does the human know what that is? Vulcan will tell! That is the CORE! It gives power to the Underground! It was made by Gaster! Royal Scientist! Does his best!” The little mountain – Vulcan? – continued jumping, but now it was resting by the child’s side, alternating between looking up at the child and over to the machine. “I will go now! Lots to do! Welcome to the Underground!” It scampered off on its little legs. The child watched it go. Was this how the other places got light?

 

The child kept walking. In the distance, towards the end of their path, there was a big sign leading towards a fork in the paths. One arrow pointed towards the path that led to the large building, the CORE, the other one led to a slightly smaller building. This one was plainer, just gray, and boxier. There were two big double doors in the front. Walking slowly up to them, the child pressed the button on a panel next to the wall. They waited a few seconds, and when nothing happened, they shrugged and turned around.

 

They didn’t see that as they walked towards the CORE, the doors opened, and someone looked out.

 

The figure was hiding in the blackness of the building, with only their head poking out. They watched the child walk slowly down the path, thinking.

 

~~“Interesting. So, humans can reach this place�and without a monster soul�...interesting.“~~

 

The child continued walking, unaware of the figure behind them.

 

~~“Maybe my research shall be for naught. Only time will tell. Curious, very curious."~~

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to have a different font, but no...Archive doesn't like that. Oh well. I'm pretty sure you guys know who this is.


	10. The CORE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The child meets Alphys and learns a little bit about Gaster.

The child walked up to the glowing building. There were…a lot of buttons on this door. The child didn’t want to break anything, so they looked around for some kind of instructions to tell them what to do. Unfortunately, nothing jumped out at them. They looked around, wondering what they should do.

 

“Uu-mm, h-hi?”

 

The child backed up and stumbled over someone standing behind them.

 

“O-ouch! Oh, I’m s-sorry!”

 

A small yellow lizard was slowly crawling to its feet, straightening a white coat and adjusting a pair of glasses perched on the end of its nose. The child helped them straighten their clothes and pick up the clipboard they dropped.

 

“Oh, th-thank you. I-I’m Alphys. I’m Dr. G-Gaster’s assistant.” Alphys finished straightening her glasses and looked up, mouth dropping open. “O-oh my god! Y-you’re a human!”

 

The child nodded, only to lose their smile when Alphys staggered backward. “B-But, th-that’s impossible! Y-you can’t be h-here!” The lizard began to fumble around inside the pile of papers on the clipboard. “The b-barrier is still intact! You can’t g-get through without a – “

 

She squeaked and stumbled backward. “H-human, you d-didn’t…” She trailed off. “D-did you k-kill anyone?”

 

The child’s mouth dropped open and they brought their hands up to their face. What? Did Alphys really think they killed someone? Did monsters think that every human could kill? Even a child?

 

Was that why all the monsters thought humans were bad?

 

Was that why all the monsters hated the child?

 

Alphys looked on in shock as the child burst into tears, crouching down and awkwardly placing a paw on the child’s shoulder. “U-um, h-hey, it’s okay. Y-you don’t h-have to cry.”

 

The child kept sobbing, afraid of being hurt because of something they _didn’t_ do. Their mother had taught them to stand up for something they believed in, but they didn’t know _how._

 

“Y-you can s-stop crying, human,” Alphys stuttered, “i-it’s okay.”

 

“Alphys?”

 

The child looked up. Sans! They tripped as they stood up, running towards him and hugging him tightly.

 

“Whoa, easy there, kid, you’ll knock me right over. Hey, what’s eatin’ ya?” Sans bent down and ruffled their hair slightly. “I don’t have a problem with cryin’, kid, it’s good to have a cry now and then. But can ya tell me why you’re cryin?”

 

“I…” Alphys started, “I th-think it’s m-my fault. I was talking about th-the barrier and h-how y-you need a human SOUL and a monster SOUL to – “

 

The child continued to sob into Sans’ hoodie. They shook with the force of the sobs. They didn’t want Sans to hate them. He was a constant, always there when they needed him the most. The child didn’t know why or how Sans always showed up when they needed him, but he did.

 

“Alphys…” Sans’ voice was very different, no longer joking. “Does Gaster know the kid’s here?”

 

“I-I don’t know,” Alphys said. “I don’t think so.”

 

“Let’s keep it that way. I don’t want Gaster getting his hands on the kid.” Sans patted the child’s head one more time before letting them go. “Let’s just get to Asgore as quickly as possible.”

 

“Wh-where’s your brother?” Alphys asked, opening the doors to the CORE. “Sh-shouldn’t y-you b-be looking after him?”

 

“Nah. I let Gerson look after him. He and Undyne are getting along fine.” Sans took the child gently by the hand. “C’mon, kid. Asgore is this way.”

 

The child tugged on his sleeve. “What? What is it?” They stared up at him with a confused expression. “You wanna know why I’m helpin’ ya now?” They nodded. “A little volcano told me you were headin’ to the CORE. I wanted to make sure you made it to Asgore okay. I’ve worked with Gaster, and he’s not the most…approachable of people.”

 

“Th-this way,” Alphys pointed to an elevator. “Th-this’ll take us up to the c-castle.”

 

The doors closed, just as a figure stepped into the lobby of the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll get to meet him in the next chapter, promise!


	11. The Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The child meets Asgore, and Gaster.

The elevator dinged as the doors opened. When they walked outside, the walls were gray, bleak, lifeless. Their footsteps and the dragging of Alphys’ tail were the only sounds they could hear. As they looked out over the edge of the walls, they could see the city’s buildings, tall and boxy against the light of Hotland behind them. Sans guided the child down a long corridor to another elevator. This one ended at a large, golden pavilion.

 

The hall was enormous, it almost seemed like another cavern. It stretched for ages. The footsteps were echoing in the room as they walked. The child continued looking around at the pillars and the windows. At least, they thought they were windows. They were very colorful. The child liked them. They bounced along and pointed excitedly at the various pictures.

 

Sans smiled and Alphys’ tail wagged slightly.   


“D-do you like the p-pictures?” The child nodded. “T-they tell the story of the Underground. And the p-prophecy.”

 

The child turned around, curious, but Sans ushered them to the end of the hallway.

 

“Kid doesn’t need to know this right now, Al. We can talk to Asgore first. He might be able to explain it better.”

 

“Oh, o-okay.”

 

The child pouted, but Sans kept them moving until they entered through a giant archway. The child’s expression morphed into wonder when they saw the carpet of flowers covering the floor. A single golden throne stood in the middle of the room. Sans let go of the child’s arm as they crouched down and began running their hands through the flowers, smiling at the golden petals. They looked up when a deep voice rang through the room.

 

“Do you like flowers, my child?”

 

Another monster. This one looked a little bit like Toriel, except bigger and had horns that curled around the top of his head. He wore golden armor and a large purple cape. He crouched down in front of the child, who had flinched slightly due to the massive figure.

 

“Do not be afraid, my child, I will not harm you.”

 

“This is Asgore, kid. He’s a big fuzzy sweetheart, he’s not gonna hurt ya,” Sans said, urging the child forwards. “We’re just gonna ask him what he thinks about how you got here and how to get you home.”

 

“Th-there shouldn’t be a way for humans to c-come here.” Alphys shuffled the papers on her clipboard until she found the one she was looking for. “Th-the barrier is still intact and I d-don’t think there’s another way to g-get down here unless – “

 

“So…this child is human?” Asgore held the child’s hand in his paw. “And it wants to go back home? Is this true, my child?”

 

They nodded, smiling up at the king. He smiled back, but very sadly.

 

“There is no way through the barrier without both SOULs, we know this. There are only two other openings to the Underground, is that correct, Alphys?”

 

“Y-yes, sir, th-there’s the one in the garbage dump and the one back behind the RUINS.” At this point, the child nodded and pointed towards Alphys. “Is that the one y-you fell down?”

 

The child nodded again, looking back up at Asgore, who sighed. “My queen may have been the one to care for you. Judging by this…” Asgore tapped the child’s shoulder, and a little sack appeared. Inside, the king lifted out the piece of pie Toriel had given them. “She hasn’t lost her affinity for baking…” he mumbled.

 

“Your Majesty, maybe it’s time to tell the kid about us,” Sans interrupted. “You know, _us?_ ”

 

Asgore sighed. “Very well. Listen, my child. This is the story of how we became trapped Underground.”

 

The child listened as Asgore told them about the war between humans and monsters, about the first human who fell down, about Toriel leaving after a human had died of old age, about the prophecy for the angel that would free the Underground. Alphys told them about her research on SOULs and what makes human SOULs so strong. As they talked, the child’s eyes began to well up and they wept onto Asgore’s cape.

 

They didn’t want to die. But they didn’t want to have the monsters trapped.

 

“Do not cry, my child. I will not harm you,” Asgore said, lifting the child and cradling them. “You have not killed once. I shall show you MERCY. We will find another way for you to go home.”

 

~~“Maybe I can be of some assistance, Your Majesty.”~~

 

The group turned around.

 

“Ah, Dr. Gaster.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the end, promise! I hope you guys have enjoyed it.


	12. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe there's another way out of the Underground. Maybe not.

The child stared at the newcomer from the safety of Asgore’s grip. It was another skeleton, this time much taller than either Sans or Papyrus, nearly Asgore’s height. Like Alphys, he wore a lab coat with a dark turtle neck underneath and long, black pants. His skull had two black lines running along his eyes, and two hands floated behind him, seemingly unattached to his arms. They looked like ghosts.

  
“My child, this is Dr. W. D. Gaster, my Royal Scientist,” Asgore said, carefully setting them down. “Alphys works for him and Sans – “

 

“Used to,” Sans interrupted. He narrowed his eyes and stood protectively in front of the child. “You’re not touching the kid, Gaster. You’re not taking their SOUL.”

 

~~“You needn't be so protective, my friend. I have no intention of harming the child.”~~

 

“Dr. Gaster, would you mind adjusting fonts so that we all may understand,” Asgore interrupted. The skeleton nodded.

 

~~“My apologies. All I said was that Sans needn’t be so protective of the child. I have no intention of taking their SOUL,”~~ Gaster said. Even though the child could understand him now, there was still a strange garbled noise that made it slightly harder than normal to understand. The scientist bent down until his face was level with the child’s head. ~~“Hello, little human. You are very resilient to have made it this far.”~~ The ghost hands floated down and began playing with the child’s hair. The child batted at them carefully, trying to figure out if they were real or not. The hands continued flitting around as Gaster laughed. ~~“Are my hands interesting?”~~

“Gast, as much as I’m loving this reunion,” Sans said, watching the child carefully, “do you mind telling us why you followed us here?”

 

“Calm down, Sans, I’m sure there’s a logical explanation to all of this.” Asgore placed a calming hand on Sans’ shoulder. “Answer the question, Dr. Gaster.”

 

~~“I saw the readings when the human fell. I wanted to see. I won’t try to take their SOUL. I wanted to see if we could take them back and see if the process can be reversed. If we can return them home and if we could go the same way.”~~

“Huh…didn't expect that.” Sans scratched the back of his skull. “Alright. Sorry for accusing you so fast.”

 

~~“I forgive you, Sans. I’m not that much of a numbskull to see that you might be suspicious.”~~ Gaster smiled as the child giggled.

 

“Heh. That’s pretty humerus, Gast.” Sans looked to Asgore. “Whattya think, Your Majesty? Should we try and take the kid home?”

 

“I think It is certainly worth a try. Maybe we can all leave this way. Or at least be prepared for the next human to fall. If there is another.” Asgore drew his cape up around him. “We should go. The entrance may close if given enough time.”

 

~~“I believe I know a shortcut.”~~ Gaster held his hand – his actual hand – out to the child. ~~“Will you take my hand please?”~~

 

The child placed their hand in Gaster’s. Sans took their other hand and the King’s hand. Gaster held onto Alphys before looking back at Sans. Both skeletons nodded.

 

The child blinked. They were back in the RUINS. The bed of golden flowers they landed on when they fell was in front of them. They dropped their hands away from the skeletons and ran forward.

 

Asgore smiled as he watched the child. Alphys and Gaster looked at the papers on Alphys’ clipboard, muttering between them and pointing towards the sky. Sans shuffled around, waiting for something to happen when he heard someone approaching from behind. He turned around only to receive a fireball to the chest. He flew backward, alerting the other monsters.

 

Asgore turned around, red trident flashing out of his cape. He stopped when the advancing monster came into the grove.

 

“T-tori?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I'm horrible at cliffhangers. 
> 
> Also, in this universe, there's only ever been one chile that's fallen down before, Chara. So the monsters are still very very prejudiced against humans, but there's not the same emphasis on SOUL collecting.


	13. Return to Aboveground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...it's the chapter title. And goodbyes!

“Get away from the child, Asgore.” Toriel held a ball of fire in her paw, walking towards the group. “I will not let you hurt an innocent child.”

 

“Whoa, whoa, easy there, Tori!” Sans scrambled up in front of the child. “We’re not gonna hurt the kid!”

 

“Sans speaks the truth, Tori,” Asgore started.

 

“Do not ‘Tori’ me, Dreemurr!” The fire faded slightly. “Do you promise you are not here to hurt them?”

 

In response, the child ran to Toriel and hugged her tightly. The boss monster let her fire go out to wrap her arms around the child, laughing quietly at their enthusiasm. “Alright my child, it’s alright. I do not think they will hurt you.”

 

“We won’t,” Asgore said firmly. “We want to see if they can get back home from here.”

  
~~“Are you the one who first found the child?”~~ Gaster asked, drawing attention to the pair of them. ~~~~

“Yes, I did. They did not tell me how they fell down here.” Toriel looked upwards. “I believe they just…fell.”

 

“U-um, y-yeah. I think this is just a r-regular hole,” Alphys said. “There are no readings that would indicate any k-kind of magical residue.”

 

~~“In that case, it shouldn’t be too hard to return them.”~~ Gaster looked at the child. ~~“How significant were their injuries when they first fell?”~~

“They had a broken ankle. That was all.”

 

“ ~~Then the hole must not be very deep. There must be some way we can lift them up, but I do not believe blue magic will last long enough. We will not be able to see all the way up.”~~

“I’ve got an idea,” Sans said, before disappearing. Asgore shook his head.

 

“I’m never going to get used to that.” He turned to Toriel. “Can you forgive me, my dear? I did not mean to harm our relationship because of a misunderstanding.”

 

“I suppose there wasn’t a need to be angry. Monsters fall down from old age. And you did not hurt this child.” Toriel folded her arms. “But I will remain here. I like my home here.”

 

“I can accept that. May I visit you?”

 

“Yes. Yes, you may.”

 

The child clapped their hands happily! They made up!

 

“I’m back!” Sans’ voice rang through the grove. “I brought reinforcements in case things get _ruff_.”

 

The white dog bounded into the grove, licking the child’s face enthusiastically. They threw their arms around the ball of fur as it bounded on top of them. They pet the dog as they stared at Sans, confused. As an answer, Sans pointed to the dog’s neck, which had already begun to grow.

 

~~“As always, you have quite the knack for thinking outside the box,”~~ Gaster said, ~~“and stick your neck out for those solutions.”~~

“Thanks, Gaster. C’mon, kid. Up you go.” Sans helped the child onto the dog’s head. As he petted the dog, its neck grew upwards, carrying the child with it. Before the child rose up out of reach, Sans stopped.

 

“Goodbye, kid. It was nice to meet you.”

 

“Farewell, my child.” Toriel gave them another hug.

 

“W-wait!” Alphys ran forwards. “H-here. Take this.” She pressed a metal square into the child’s hand. “Th-this can let you talk to us. It’s a phone!”

 

The child looked at it curiously, before pressing the big button in the middle. They jumped as something rang. Alphys pulled out another rectangle and pressed a button. “S-see? Now we can talk?”

 

Indeed, the child could hear Alphys’ voice through the metal thing. They nodded eagerly and threw their arms around the yellow lizard. “A-aww. Thanks!”

 

Asgore and Gaster waved goodbye as Sans resumed petting. The dog’s head rose slowly up through the hole, away from the Underground. The child waved goodbye until their friends were barely specks in the dirt.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lesser Dog idea got from this awesome comic. Support the artists!
> 
> https://sickaede.deviantart.com/art/Pet-the-Doge-Pg-2-573214371


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The human ages.

The metal square let the child talk with their friends below ground. Alphys explained how it worked, well, sort of. Eventually, they got the hang of it.

 

“D-do you think you could say something? J-just so we know it works?”

 

The child paused. They hadn’t said anything when they were in the Underground because their throat hadn’t worked…for some reason. Maybe it would work now? They opened their mouth and…a strangled raspy gasp. No such luck. Alphys seemed to understand.

 

“Th-that’s okay. I know what it’s like to n-not want to talk. Y-you can use the text instead.”

 

The child clicked the buttons on their metal square – a ‘phone,’ Alphys had called it – to spell out their message.

 

**_\---:_ ** _Sorry_

**_Alphys:_ ** _It’s okay. I’m glad you got out okay. There’s no way for us to follow you up, we won’t all fit._

**_\---:_ ** _Stuck_

**_Alphys:_ ** _Yeah, we’re stuck down here. But that’s okay. We won’t lose hope._

**_\---:_ ** _Determination_

**_Alphys:_ ** _sans here. alphys just ran back to her lab with the doc. seems you gave her another idea. we put our numbers in here too. you got somewhere to go up there?_

**_\---:_ ** _Home_

**_Alphys:_ ** _okay. you let us know when you’re back home right?_

**_\---:_ ** _Okay_

**_\---:_ ** _Home safe_

**_Alphys:_ ** _good. stay in touch, alright? hey, can you tell us your name?_

**_\---:_ ** _Atheleys_

**_Alphys:_ ** _nice to meet you, kid._

…

 

**_\---:_ ** _older_

**_Sans:_ ** _happy birthday, kid. you getting older, huh?_

**_\---:_ ** _yes_

**_Sans:_ ** _well, i’ll tell paps for ya. he’s getting bigger too_

**_\---:_ ** _tall_

**_Sans:_ ** _yeah, soon he’ll be taller than me. oops, gotta go. bye, kid._

**_\---:_ ** _bye_

…

 

**_\---:_ ** _partner_

**_Sans:_ ** _getting married, huh kid? congrats. hope they’re nice to you._

**_\---:_ ** _you have partner_

**_Sans:_ ** _are you asking me if i’m getting married? nah, not my style._

**_\---:_ ** _have to go_

**_Sans:_ ** _bye kid. enjoy your wedding._

_…_

**_\---:_ ** _child_

**_Sans:_ ** _you got a kid? congrats. there’s another kid that fell down here. we’re taking care of them too._

**_\---:_ ** _safe?_

**_Sans:_ ** _yeah, they’re safe. we can look after them. but you look after yourself too, okay?_

**_\---:_ ** _okay_

_…_

**_\---:_ ** _old_

**_Sans:_ ** _you getting older again, huh? don’t worry humans do that._

**_\---:_ ** _thank you_

**_Sans:_ ** _for what, kid?_

**_\---:_ ** _everything_

**_Sans:_ ** _jeez kid, you’ll make me worry. you’re welcome, kid._

**_\---:_ ** _have to go_

**_Sans:_ ** _see ya kid. look after yourself, because someone really cares about you._

_…_

**_Sans:_ ** _hey kid, you’ve been a little quiet recently, are you giving me the silent treatment? i’m speechless._

**_Sans:_ ** _okay that one wasn’t great. could you say something, kid?_

**_Sans:_ ** _Atheleys? are you there, kid?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. You can hate me. 
> 
> I've added new tags, but you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out why. 
> 
> I know I'm terrible.


	15. Legacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've been on your own since your parents kicked you out of the house when you were ten for not conforming to their wishes. You managed to find a house for not too much, but it's not easy.

The sun set over the skyscrapers as you walked home past the museum. You shook your head. Your grandmother always made you go in there when you were really small. For some reason, she was obsessed with the fact that apparently, your ancestor was around back then and knew stuff about…monsters? Living underground? You shook your head. Ridiculous. You weren’t a child anymore. You knew magic and monsters weren’t real.

 

You went home, letting the bag on your shoulders drop to the floor as soon as you opened the door. As you looked around your apartment, full of cardboard boxes and takeout food packets and raggedy furniture, you sighed. Sometimes you wish they were.

 

You slumped down into a little ball and leaned against the door. Everyone was dead. You had just been fired. And now you couldn’t pay the rent anymore. Yeah, some monsters and magic would be pretty nice right about now.

 

You had to run. None of your close family were alive anymore, and the rest didn’t care enough to take you in. You were far too young for this, just over twelve. You packed a bag with the essentials, a phone that your grandmother had given you, a change of clothes, and your meager supplies of cash. You walked out of the house, locking it behind you. You’d left a note on the back of the fridge explaining you were gone.

 

There was an old story that your grandmother told you when she gave you the phone. Whenever you had nowhere else to go, go to the address stored in the phone’s memory. You scrolled through the messages with a shaking hand. You found the address and started walking to the street. You hailed a cab and told the driver where you wanted to go.

 

“You sure? Not much out there.”

 

You nodded, using what little remained of your money to pay the driver as you got outside. You looked up at the giant mountain above you. Mt. Ebott. Why on earth would you need to come here?

 

Maybe it wouldn’t be much of a happy ending for you…you heard other stories about this mountain. If you wanted to disappear, this was the place to go. You started to climb. As you rose, you looked behind you at the long stretch of lights of the town you had left. A lot of people who hadn’t done anything for you. You knew you were being melodramatic but you didn’t care.

 

You shook your head to clear your thoughts again. You saw a light up ahead in the mountains. You walked towards it, following a sign that says ‘New Home.’ That sounded like somewhere you’d like to be right about now.

 

You followed the sign to an old house, built with a thatch roof and old wooden planks. You opened the door and sat down on an old patch of straw. You looked around. This looked a lot like the museum. You opened your bag and grabbed your phone. The address was right…but what exactly was supposed to happen?

 

You went back outside, looking up at the sky. The stars were so bright, especially without the lights of the city to drown them out. You were so preoccupied with looking up at the stars you didn’t notice you were falling until it was too late.

 

Falling. You were falling. Falling so fast everything became a blur. Falling so far, the stars shrank before your eyes. Falling so hard you blacked out when you hit the ground.

 

When you came to, you opened your eyes to see a black cavern and golden petals. You sat up, looking around at the little grove of golden flowers in which you landed. You picked one of the flowers and tucked it behind your ear.

 

“My child?”

 

Another voice made you jump. You turned around and shrunk backward at an approaching figure. They came close to you, crouching down to the grove of flowers. You frowned, then your eyes widened in shock as you took in the white fluffy fur, the purple robe, and the small horns on top of the creature’s head.

 

“No, you are not my child, though you appear very similar. Greetings. I am Toriel, guardian of the RUINS. Are you hurt?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! At least one more chapter, then maybe an epilogue. Depends on what you guys want. 
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed this.


	16. New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're home.

Turns out Toriel knew who you were, well, kind of. She took you back to her house in the RUINS. The house was small, cozy. There was a warm fire burning as you sat down in a big, fluffy armchair.

 

“Wait here, my child. I have to call some people.” She walked out of the room.

 

You felt strangely calm in the house. There was an intrinsic _safeness_ to it that put you instantly at ease. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, followed by the appearance of two more monsters, one was a small yellow lizard, the other a horned monster like Toriel.

 

“I g-got Asgore as soon as Toriel called and Sans and Papyrus are coming,” the lizard said, walking up to you. “M-may I see your phone?”

 

You handed it over silently. The other monster, Asgore, asked where Toriel was. You pointed wordlessly in the direction she had gone.

 

“Thank you, human. By the way, may I say, howdy! And welcome to the Underground.”

 

You nodded your thanks, still not willing to trust your voice.

“I c-can’t believe it’s the same phone. We gave it to y-your ancestor when they fell down here.”

“How many years ago was this?” You finally spoke.

 

“J-judging by the amount of b-build up on the circuit board, almost three centuries,” the lizard – Alphys? – said, examining the phone.

 

“Wait, you’re telling me that _you guys_ gave my however-many-greats ancestor that phone and it’s worked for three centuries?”

 

“W-well, y-yeah,” Alphys said, handing the phone back. “W-we’ve had this type of t-technology for ages.”

 

“Okay.” You didn’t know what else to say.

 

“Are you feeling alright, my child?” Toriel asked, bringing in a piece of pie from her kitchen. You nodded. Asgore followed with a cup of tea.

  
“I have found that in times of crises, a good cup of tea often helps.” He placed the mug next to the plate. You pulled the pie closer to you and took a bite. It was _perfect_. Just the right mix of cinnamon and butterscotch. The tea was wonderful too.

 

The skeletons - Sans and Papyrus, right? Like the fonts? – walked in too. Papyrus ran exuberantly into you, hugging you aggressively. You let him, intrigued by his innocent personality. He was so happy about everything in life, _everything_. It was quite refreshing after everything you’d experienced. Sans watched you before easing Papyrus away from his ‘bone-crushing’ hug.

  
“Whattya think, kid? You’ve been kinda quiet since you got here.”

 

You looked up at him, thinking about the best way to explain your situation. He held up a hand when you opened your mouth to speak.

 

“Never mind, kid. It’s okay. You don’t have to explain right now. Take your time.”

 

You closed your mouth again. Papyrus spoke instead.

 

“DO NOT FRET, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL MAKE SURE YOU ARE WELCOME IN YOUR NEW HOME!”

 

Everyone froze. Toriel looked astonished, Asgore’s jaw dropped open. Alphys shifted her weight nervously from side to side. Sans’ shoulders were hunched awkwardly and Papyrus knawed nervously on his mittens. Toriel broke the awkward silence first.

 

“What I believe Papyrus is trying to say is,” she said, laying a paw on your shoulder, “if you wanted to stay here, my child, you’d be welcome to stay.”

 

Your mouth dropped open. You’ve been here for ten minutes and they already want you to stay.

 

“My child?”

 

“Yes. Please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! The final chapter. This one was really hard to write, words were not my friend. I'm still debating about doing an epoligue, you guys tell me what you think.


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